(From left) Dr. GN Hazarika, Dr Pradip K Neog and N Tekatushi Ao during the workshop on March 7. (Morung Photo)
Dimapur: Regional Workshop on Review of Central Sector Schemes and Training Planning for Extension Education Institute (EEI) and State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institutes (SAMETI) of North East States was today inaugurated at Theja Fort, Dimapur. The workshop will conclude on March 7.
The workshop is being organized by Extension Education Institute (NE Region), Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, under Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Government of Nagaland.
Speaking on the inaugural function, Dr. GN Hazarika, Director of Research, AAU, highlighted the importance of extension agriculture. Questioning why technology was not reaching farmers, Dr Hazarika called for a bigger role-play from extension missionaries and scientist and urged them to be in the field so as to understand the practical side of farming.
Earlier, N Tekatushi Ao, Director of Agriculture and State Nodal Officer, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Nagaland, delivered the welcome address, while Dr Pradip K Neog, Director EEI (NE Region), highlighted the objectives of the workshop. Dr A K Bhattacaryya, Professor, EEI, delivered the vote of thanks.
The objective of this workshop is to review implementation of Support to States Extension Programme for Extension Reforms (SSEPER) Scheme and other Central sector schemes of Ministry of Agriculture, GoI, in North East states. The workshop further aims to work out action points for departments and organizations concerned for further progress in implementation of SSEPER (ATMA) Scheme and other Central sector schemes in NE states. The workshop also aims to identify training needs of extension functionaries of the land-based departments for 2014-15 and to spell out relevant organizations/institutions for addressing those. Further, the workshop will deliberate on crucial issues to be addressed in NE region for streamlining agricultural extension.
